Panau

The Republic of Panau is an island country in Southeast Asia, located to the north-east of Sumatra and off the coast of the Malay Peninsula. Panau is a collection of small islands in the South China Sea, and it was a former colony of Spain and the Netherlands before gaining independence in 1946. The country modernized quickly and its infrastructure was an example to neighboring countries, but it was ruled by dictators Papa Panay and his son Pandak Panay until the United States' Central Intelligence Agency oversaw the overthrowing of Pandak Panay and the installation of a democracy.

Pre-colonization
Civilization on the island of Panau originated with the Ulars, a tribe of Micronesians who lived on Panau and the surrounding islands. Small temples, stepping stone pyramids, and a large grand temple were left behind by the Ulars, and opium and heroin were grown by the tribesmen. Panau was later influenced by Malays as they migrated to Southeast Asia, and there was conflict between the Muslim merchants and the indigenous Ulars. The Malay sultanates ruled over the southwestern portion of the country, leaving the Ulars as the rulers of the rest of the island. Their animist religion survived for a few more centuries, but Islam and other Asian faiths such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism later supplanted the old beliefs and replaced the tribal worship.

Colonial rule
Spain was the first European empire to rule over the island, bringing Catholicism to the population. The upper classes were traditionally Catholic, while the lower classes were the eastern religions. The Dutch Republic later took over the island at the time of the Eighty Years' War, and the Dutch introduced Protestantism, imposing their culture on the people of Panau. Panau was incorporated into the Dutch East Indies and was occupied by the Empire of Japan when Japan occupied the islands in 1941 during World War II, and many Japanese civilians immigrated to the island, remaining there even after the defeat of Japan. The Imperial Japanese Army's weapons base on Hantu Island survived and was used by Panau after independence, and the influence of Japan and the Netherlands remained in the following years.

Independence
Panau declared independence from the Netherlands in 1946 at the same time as Indonesia, and the country became a republic. Like many other newly-independent countries, its leaders struggled between communism and capitalism, with the United States and United Kingdom supporting the right-wing parties against the communist movements on the island. The country adopted capitalism and became a republic, and its economy blossomed due to its abundant supply of natural gas and oil as well as its big industries. Skyscrapers and beautiful cities were built on the island, which was a tourist's dream. However, the country was rotting from within, as the US-installed Papa Panay government was involved in massacring the populations of whole villages during the era of political repression on the island, and his son Pandak Panay took power after Papa Panay was killed in a car bombing. Uprisings broke out in 2010, and the US Central Intelligence Agency switched its support to the rebel cause, as did China, Japan, Russia, and other nearby countries. The Panauan Civil War of 2010 was very costly, and it ended with the death of Pandak Panay, the destruction of the island's nuclear stockpile, and the restoration of democracy.

Economy
Since independence, Panau has been a tropical paradise with a beautiful capital and several skyscrapers, becoming modernized very quickly. Panau had a large industrial sector despite being small, focusing on exporting fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas. Logging and crop production were major private sector industries, while cargo trading was a major international commercial activity. Tourism was a major source of income due to the appeal of going to an island paradise like Panau, whose airport and beautiful cities gave visitors a beautiful view of the nation. The economy suffered under President Pandak Panay, whose dictatorship saw the country militarize and focus on external affairs rather than internal issues. Panau uses the Panauan dollar as its currency, and in 2010, one United States dollar was the equivalent of 50 Panauan dollars.

Geography
Panau stretches over 400 square miles, consisting of a few islands divided into nine territories. The islands of Panau varied from the Berawan Besar Mountains in the north to the Lautan Lama Desert to the southwest, and much of the island had a tropical climate. Its terrain varried from desert and jungles to Arctic mountains and forest, with the environment varying by island.

Ethnic groups
Panau's original inhabitants were the Ulars, a Micronesian tribe; the Malays later immigrated to the island and brought the Malay and Indonesian languages to the island. "Panau" means "bright spot" in Malay, with Malay, Indonesian, Tagalog, and English being the official languages and Indonesian and Malay being the two most widely-spoken languages on the island.

Religions
Panau is a diverse country in terms of religion, having been influenced by Spain, Indonesia, and India over the years. In a 2010 estimate, 61% of the population was Buddhist, 22% Muslim, 12% Christian (mostly Catholic), 4% Hindu, and 1% others, including the animist Ulars, some Jews, a small community of Confucians, and a very small community of Sikhs.